RELAXER GEL ACTIVATOR

• US 20120114584A1
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alberto-Culver Company (Unilever PLC)
• Original Assignee: Alberto-Culver Company (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Woghiren, Uyi O., Fitzpatrick, Antoinette, Stasik, Margaret
• Application Number:
  US13/260,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20120114584A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/70.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/88 Two- or multipart kits
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/884 Sequential application
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/042 Gels
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/43 Guanidines
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/8147 Homopolymers or copolymers of acids; Metal or ammonium salts thereof, e.g. crotonic acid, (meth)acrylic acid; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 5/04 Preparations for permanent waving or straightening the hair

Abstract

The present invention provides a relaxer gel activator composition, which includes a carbomer and guanidine carbonate as an alkaline neutralizing agent therefor, and a method for producing the relaxer gel activator. In some embodiments, the relaxer gel activator composition includes at least one conditioning agent, which may be PEG-2 dimeadowfoamamidoethylmonium methosulfate. The present invention also provides methods and kits for relaxing hair fibers using the relaxer gel activator of the invention.

Claims

1. A gel composition for relaxing hair fiber, the composition comprising:

a carbomer;

an alkaline neutralizing agent consisting essentially of guanidine carbonate; and

a fluid medium;

wherein the carbomer is present in an amount effective to form a gel in the fluid medium and the guanidine carbonate is present in an amount effective to neutralize the carbomer sufficiently to produce a gel in the fluid medium.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the carbomer is present in an amount of from about 1 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of the composition.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the guanidine carbonate is present in an amount of from about 25 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of the composition.

5. The composition of claim 1, further comprising at least one humectant, at least one color indicator, at least one conditioning agent, or any combination thereof.

6. The composition of claim 5, wherein the at least one conditioning agent is PEG-2 dimeadowfoamamidoethylmonium methosulfate.

7. The composition of claim 5, wherein the at least one humectant is glycerin, or propylene glycol or a combination thereof.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the fluid medium comprises water.

9. The composition of claim 1, further comprising PEG-2 dimeadowfoamamidoethylmonium methosulfate, and glycerin, wherein the fluid medium comprises water.

10. A method for relaxing hair fiber, the method comprising:

reacting the gel composition of claim 1 with a hydroxide composition to form guanidine hydroxide; and

contacting the hair fiber with the guanidine hydroxide in an amount effective to relax and/or straighten the hair fiber,

wherein the hydroxide composition comprises a carrier and a hydroxide compound in an amount effective to convert at least a portion of the guanidine carbonate into guanidine hydroxide when mixed with the gel composition.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the hydroxide composition further comprises at least one conditioning compound.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the conditioning compound comprises an alkyl quaternary ammonium salt.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the hydroxide composition is a cream comprising calcium hydroxide in an amount effective to produce the guanidine hydroxide.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the hydroxide composition further comprises at least one long-chain hydrocarbon, at least one fatty alcohol, at least one humectant, at least one fatty-ethylene oxide, or at least one preservative, or any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one long-chain hydrocarbon is petrolatum and/or mineral oil, the at least one fatty alcohol is stearyl alcohol and/or cetyl alcohol, the at least one humectant is glycerin and/or propylene glycol, the at least one fatty-ethylene oxide is steareth-20 and/or ceteth-20, and/or the at least one preservative is benzyl benzoate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the hydroxide composition further comprises hexyl cinnamal, linalool, limonene, or amyl cinnamal, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the hydroxide composition further comprises

petrolatum, mineral oil, propylene glycol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, ceteth-20, and steareth-20,

wherein the carrier is water.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising allowing the guanidine hydroxide to maintain contact with the hair fibers for about 10-20 minutes.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising mechanically straightening the hair fiber.

20. The method of claim 10, further comprising rinsing the hair fiber after contacting with the guanidine hydroxide.

22. A kit comprising:

(a) a first container and the gel composition of claim 1 contained therein; and

(b) a second container and a hydroxide composition contained therein.

23. The kit of claim 22, further comprising instructions (i) for reacting the gel and hydroxide compositions to produce guanidine hydroxide, and (ii) for contacting hair with the guanidine hydroxide to relax and/or straighten the hair.

24. The kit of claim 22, wherein the hydroxide composition further comprises at least one conditioning compound.

25. The kit of claim 24, wherein the conditioning compound comprises an alkyl quaternary ammonium salt.

26. The kit of claim 22, wherein the hydroxide composition is a cream comprising calcium hydroxide in an amount effective to produce the guanidine hydroxide.

27. The kit of claim 22, wherein the hydroxide composition further comprises at least one long-chain hydrocarbon, at least one fatty alcohol, at least one humectant, at least one fatty-ethylene oxide, or at least one preservative, or any combination thereof.

28. The kit of claim 22, wherein the hydroxide composition further comprises at least one long-chain hydrocarbon, at least one fatty alcohol, at least one humectant, at least one fatty-ethylene oxide, or at least one preservative, or any combination thereof.

29. The kit of claim 28, wherein the at least one long-chain hydrocarbon is petrolatum and/or mineral oil, the at least one fatty alcohol is stearyl alcohol and/or cetyl alcohol, the at least one humectant is glycerin and/or propylene glycol, the at least one fatty-ethylene oxide is steareth-20 and/or ceteth-20, and/or the at least one preservative is benzyl benzoate.

30. The kit of claim 29, wherein the hydroxide composition further comprises hexyl cinnamal, linalool, limonene, or amyl cinnamal, or a combination thereof.

31. The kit of claim 22, wherein the hydroxide composition further comprises

petrolatum, mineral oil, propylene glycol, cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, ceteth-20, and steareth-20,

wherein the carrier is water.

2. A gel composition for relaxing and/or straightening hair fiber, the composition comprising:

a carbomer;

a neutralizing agent comprising guanidine carbonate; and

a fluid medium;

wherein the gel composition is substantially free of any alkaline neutralizing agent other than guanidine carbonate, the carbomer is present in an amount effective to form a gel in the fluid medium, and the guanidine carbonate is present in an amount effective to neutralize the carbomer sufficiently to produce a gel in the fluid medium.

32. The composition of claim 2, wherein the carbomer is present in an amount of from about 1 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of the composition.

33. The composition of any claim 2, wherein the guanidine carbonate is present in an amount of from about 25 wt. % to about 35 wt. % of the composition.

34. The composition of claim 2, further comprising at least one humectant, at least one color indicator, at least one conditioning agent, or any combination thereof.

35. The composition of claim 34, wherein the at least one conditioning agent is PEG-2 dimeadowfoamamidoethylmonium methosulfate.

36. The composition of claim 34, wherein the at least one humectant is glycerin, propylene glycol or a combination thereof.

37. The composition of claim 2, wherein the fluid medium comprises water.

38. The composition of claim 2, further comprising PEG-2 dimeadowfoamamidoethylmonium methosulfate and glycerin, wherein the fluid medium comprises water.

21. A method for producing a gel composition for relaxing and/or straightening hair fiber, the method comprising neutralizing carbomer with guanidine carbonate in a fluid medium to produce the gel composition, wherein the gel composition is substantially free of any alkaline neutralizing agent other than guanidine carbonate.